I recently noticed a suspicious credit card charge on my Master Card for $375.00 from an online merchant. This charge came one day after using the card at the Loves gas station in Buckeye, AZ. Follow up with the merchant and my card issuer confirmed a fraudulent transaction. So, how does one protect themselves at these places?

You can't. All you can do is report the fraudulent charge as soon as possible-which you did. All of my online purchases are done with my Amex card--they have a standard policy of reversing fraud charges without hassle and have so for years.

The banks and credit card companies wanted to make it easy for us to spend our money and not have to process checks. The downside to that is that we are subject to fraud from determined nefarious individuals.

I get a text and an email for any transaction over $20 which is the minimum $ amount that the card issuer allows for alerts. I have had 3 separate incidents with debit/credit cards and my bank account (ACH)over the past year, so I simply watch it closely and dispute anything that I don't recognize.

I'm guessing that you didn't use the card to pay at the pump at Loves. Once you hand your card to a clerk, waitress, etc., it only takes a dishonest one a second to swipe it into a small concealed device, often attached to a smart phone.

Fraudulent credit card activity in the U.S. should begin to fall off in the 2nd half of 2014 and definitely in 2015 as credit card issuers and merchants switch over to use of credit cards with an embedded security chip.

One of my credit cards now has the security chip in it. Yesterday was my very first use of it at a merchant (Walmart) who had the new readers at checkout required for the security chipped cards.

As I understand it, Europe has had these type credit cards in place for quite some time. Relief is on it's way for us folks here in the U.S. ... and it's about time.

I have two banks and two debit cards. both were used in a foreign country on the same day and the same minute. they went through pay pal and I no longer use pay pal as a method of payment. You just have to look at your bank or credit card account every day and the bank will reimburse you for any charges not made by you. each bank has their own way of handling the refund so contact them immediately after you find a charge. One of my banks refunded right away the other I had to write a letter to get them to refund.

The fraud may not have even happened at that Love's fuel station. Sometimes the crooks hold on to the numbers, or sell them. Unfortunately the credit card companies won't tell us where it occurred. Only that it did occur. Whenever we travel we tell them where we are going and put limits on the card. It is magic, they follow us along the route.